Spiraled ⚪⭐⚪⭐ (A Brollins Novel)✔

EPISODE FIVE

Lopez's House. Los Angeles, California.

'I love you.'

The words stare back at her face in bold, italic words in the message box on her phone. Her thumb traces the pattern of the words, unsure how she is supposed to respond. Fergal is a strange man. A Good Morning or something as simple as a Hi, would've been more suitable than this. But no. That Irish business tycoon prefers to do things in the most bizarre ways. Typing the same words back to him will be easy enough, considering Fergal isn't in the Lopez house to figure out whatever she types back is a lie. But she can't. Not now.

Not when Colby is missing and everyone is worried something worse has happened to him. She already feels guilty enough for breaking up with Colby in such a fashion and going out with Fergal on the same night Colby disappeared. She can't type affectionate words for a man she doesn't feel anything for; it feels wrong and heartless to herself and everyone involved.

Sighing deeply, she deletes the message from her phone and tucks it back inside her purse rather clumsily, almost scrapping her fingers against the sharp points of the zip. Pamela eyes her suspiciously from her seat beside Joe who is too busy sipping on the green tea Holly had prepared for him to notice the little yelp coming out of her. Mercedes signals to her friend she's fine before running a hand up and down Holly's back soothingly. "Aunt Holly, please calm down. Colby is fine. He will call again, I'm sure of it."

Holly turns her red eyes up to look at her, nodding into the handkerchief at her nose. "I know. It's just. . . . he just called this afternoon and a few hours later, the number is unreachable. That is, if it was indeed him who called."

"I'm sure it's him. I mean who else could've called with that number," Joe says, asking nobody in particular. "Maybe there's poor signal at where he is. It has been raining a lot in Orlando lately so it must have affected the signals in the area."

Pamela bobbles her head in agreement while Mercedes checks another message on her phone. A new one from Fergal. She doesn't even bother viewing it and quickly deletes it before Pamela can crane her neck up to see it.

"It's going through," Jonathan announces as he bursts inside the living area, causing Mercedes and Holly to jump to their feet. "Nobody is answering."

"At least it's finally going through," Mercedes offers, smiling down at Holly encouragingly.

"Hello." Mercedes's heart jumps at the word. She didn't realize how much she misses hearing Colby's voice until now. It takes everything in her not to snatch the phone from Jonathan's grip, just to hear his voice again. But it appears it isn't Colby on the line. Is it a wrong number? "It's a woman," Jonathan holds a hand around the phone and tells them confusedly. "Can I please speak to Colby? Tell him it is his brother on the line. Yes. . . . his brother yes. Thank you."

Jonathan puts the call on loudspeaker and waits, fingers tapping on his jeans. Mercedes suddenly thinks it is ridiculous how the woman's voice sounds so much like Fergal. She begins to wonder who the woman is and why Colby is with her. Their bickering breaks her out of her thoughts.

'Nobody asked you to pick up the phone', 'You need to rest', 'I'm not a child' and 'You can't boss me around,' were some of the things they all heard followed by a helpless sigh—probably Colby's—confusing them all. "Colby, where are you," Holly asks first, breaking down to tears again. "We've all been worried to death about you."

"I tried calling last night but the signal was poor here. I called this afternoon too but nobody picked up." Mercedes can't explain in words how good it feels to hear his voice again after so many days. She didn't even realize she was crying until she covered her mouth with her hand. Even Jonathan sighs so deeply in relief, it rumbles through his chest. "Mom stop crying. I'm fine, just a bit stranded here. . . . with someone not worth mentioning," they hear something hitting the floor with a loud clang and then Colby's low chuckle. 'He seems to be enjoying himself,' Mercedes thinks, more perplexed than ever. "I'll be back soon when everything is alright here. How is father?"